Ukrainian forces counterattack near Lyman, claim Russian regiment destroyed
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Ukrainian forces counterattacked near Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, destroying what they described as an entire Russian regiment — a unit that can number roughly 2,000 troops on paper — and improving their positions, Ukraine’s Third Army Corps reported Dec. 18.
The operation was conducted by Ukraine's Third Army Corps and units of the military intelligence agency (HUR) against the backdrop of Russia's continued push to seize more of Donetsk Oblast.
"As a result of coordinated efforts, the front line was straightened, and the tactical position of Ukrainian forces in the area improved," the unit said on Facebook.
Ukrainian forces' operation in the sector has limited Russia's ability to maneuver in the heavily forested area, the Third Army Corps said. The unit also reported that a number of Russian infantry soldiers were taken prisoner during the operation.
Lyman, located in northern Donetsk Oblast with a pre-war population of around 20,000, has been a hotspot of the front line for years as fighting raged in the Serebianskyi Forest, just east of the city.
Ukrainian forces liberated the city on Oct. 1, 2022, following more than four months of Russian occupation that began in mid-May.
The recapture of Lyman came on the back of Ukraine's successful counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast, marking a major operational and symbolic victory.
Initial hopes that Ukrainian forces could push further and liberate the town of Kreminna in neighboring Luhansk Oblast were not met, as Moscow dug in and began flooding the front line with mobilized and prisoner soldiers.
In early April 2025, Moscow launched its spring campaign with intensified attacks across several front-line sectors.
Over the summer and fall, Russian forces advanced through much of the Serebianskyi forest, inching closer to Lyman and bringing the entire area into the range of first-person view drones.
Now, amid new gains around the nearby city of Siversk the defense of Lyman is taking on extra importance, as the northern gateway to Sloviansk, one of the key hubs of Ukraine's defense of Donetsk Oblast.
Kyiv Independent has reached out to the Third Army Corps for further comment.
